The 25 Dumbest Free Agency Moves in NFL History

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY SportsNnamdi Asomugha represents one of the worst NFL free-agent signings in history.

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The 2013 NFL free agency period is officially here, so while teams are scrambling to sign the biggest names such as Mike Wallace to massive contracts, it would behoove each franchise to look into the past before spending big.

It happens every year—at least one NFL team lands a prized free agent, only to have it end up as one of the worst moves of the offseason; if not all-time.

Teams such as the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns are notorious for making mistakes in free agency, and litter the list of the dumbest moves in free agency history.

NFL free agency is here, but let's take a moment to reflect on the 25 dumbest free agent moves in NFL history.

21. Jake Delhomme, Cleveland Browns

Jake Delhomme had been in the NFL since 1998 before the Cleveland Browns thought it was a great idea to bring him in before the 2010 season.

To be fair, Delhomme had shined as a member of the Carolina Panthers the preceding seven years, but had thrown eight touchdowns to 18 interceptions before being cut.

Regardless of his horrific numbers, the Browns signed Delhomme to a two-year deal worth about $7 million. He proceeded to throw for a little over 800 yards to go along with his two touchdowns and eight interceptions.

20. Elvis Grbac, Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000 with Trent Dilfer at quarterback and decided to get an upgrade during free agency the following offseason.

Said upgrade happened to be Elvis Grbac, who had thrown for over 4,000 yards the year before as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Baltimore signed Grbac to a five-year, $30 million deal in the hopes he could be the franchise quarterback the team was missing and potentially carry it to more championships.

Instead, he appeared in only 14 games and threw 15 touchdowns to 18 interceptions while completing just 56 percent of his passes. The Ravens cut him in the offseason and started its search for a real quarterback over.

19. Dana Stubblefield, Washington Redskins

Brian Bahr/Getty ImagesDana Stubblefield never lived up to the expectations in Washington.

Defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield recorded 15 sacks in 1997 as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, which marked just the second time his sack count went past the double digit barrier in five seasons. As a result, he became one of the hottest commodities on the market.

Like clockwork, the Washington Redskins jumped in and threw money at him.

Stubblefield signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the team, but only played out half the contract.

18. Jeff Garcia, Cleveland Browns

Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesJeff Garcia lasted one year with the Browns while making a lot of money.

Jeff Garcia had a stint in the CFL before playing five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers in which he played well enough to convince teams that his 34-year-old corpse was good enough to be paid like a franchise quarterback.

Unsurprisingly, the Cleveland Browns were the team that fell for it.

Garcia was given $25 million over four years but played just one. He appeared in only 11 games and threw for 1,731 yards with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Garcia failed to win over fans while bumbling around the field and was cut, which then allowed him to pursue the backup quarterback dream job he had been destined for from the beginning.

17. Dale Carter, Denver Broncos

Cornerback Dale Carter spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he blossomed as one of the better defensive backs in the game.

When he hit the free-agent market, the Denver Broncos thought it would be a good idea to steal him away.

That decision turned out to be a horrible one. Carter was given a four-year contract worth $22 million but spent just two seasons in Denver.

In 1999, his first year with the team, Carter appeared in only 14 games and recorded just two interceptions. He missed the entirety of the 2000 season after being busted for the fourth time for abusing the NFL's substance abuse policy.

16. Andre Rison, Cleveland Browns

Andre Rison recorded over 1,000 yards receiving in four of his five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before being wooed to play for the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland gave Rison $17 million over five years, but would only play one year with the team.

The writing was on the wall as soon as Rison stepped foot on the field for the Browns. He was sluggish and did not exactly appear to be giving it his all. Rison caught just 47 passes for 701 yards and three touchdowns.

Rison bounced around the league for five more seasons, but his demise began in Cleveland.

14. Desmond Howard, Oakland Raiders

Desmond Howard is one of the most decorated players in NFL history, but he also fell victim to signing with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent.

Howard flipped a Super Bowl MVP performance with the Green Bay Packers in 1996 into a nice contract with Oakland. The Raiders reeled him in for four seasons and $6 million.

Like most Raiders free agent signings, Howard did not even last the duration of the contract he signed. He played in Oakland for just two seasons, having no impact on the field outside of two punt returns for touchdowns.

13. Jeff George, Washington Redskins

Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesJeff George wasted the Redskins' time like he wasted away his immense talent.

Jeff George was the No. 1 overall pick in 1990 NFL draft, but bounced around the league after never being able to live up to expectations.

That sure did not prevent the Washington Redskins from giving him a try.

In 2000, George signed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Redskins. He appeared in six games and threw for just over 1,300 yards and seven touchdowns. The following year he appeared in only two contests and threw three interceptions.

The Redskins moved on, but it is hard to figure out why the front office took the financial gamble in the first place after 10 years of evidence George did not have what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

11. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seattle Seahawks

Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesT.J. Houshmandzadeh left his comfort zone in Cincinnati and the Seahawks paid the price.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh had a good thing going with the Cincinnati Bengals over the course of his first eight seasons in the NFL. He was the beneficiary of playing across from then-elite receiver Chad Johnson.

Houshmandzadeh elected to test the open market in 2009, and the Seattle Seahawks were dumb enough to only analyze the stats rather than watch his film.

Seattle inked Houshmandzadeh to a five-year, $40 million deal.

His first and only year with the team, Seattle realized he was not actually a No. 1 receiver as he only recorded 911 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

10 Javon Walker, Oakland Raiders

Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesJavon Walker did not see the field much for the Oakland Raiders thanks to injuries.

Javon Walker put together a nice career over the course of his first six seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and then the Denver Broncos.

Like any good franchise, the Oakland Raiders broke the bank in free agency to grab Walker, who had just begun his decline.

Walker was given a six-year, $55 million contract , but played in just 11 games over two seasons before being cut. He caught only 15 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown while severely hampered by injuries.

In the process, Walker made $21 million before being cut. Or Oakland lost $21 million, depending on which way you want to look at it.

4. Neil O'Donnell, New York Jets

Al Bello/Getty ImagesNeil O'Donnell fooled the New York Jets into giving him a big contract.

Apparently the New York Jets did not learn anything from other NFL teams bringing in one-hit wonders from Super Bowl games.

For New York, the man was quarterback Neil O'Donnell, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl in 1995.

Like many on this list, that was the apex of his career.

New York signed O'Donnell to a $25 million contract over five years the following offseason. He lasted just two seasons with the team, playing miserable football at best when he was not sidelined with an injury.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha, Philadelphia Eagles

Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsNnamdi Asomugha lasted just two years with the Eagles.

Nnamdi Asomugha was the most feared defensive back in the NFL over the course of his eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders.

As a result, the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to a five-year, $60 million contract in 2011, making him the highest paid corner in the NFL.

Asomugha was cut after the 2012 season (per Adam Schefter on Twitter) for his horrendous play over his two seasons with the team.

The confusing part of the situation comes from the Eagles end.

Why exactly did the front office make Aso the highest paid at his position, knowing full and well he thrived as a man-to-man corner, which happens to be the exact opposite of what the Eagles run defensively?